Latest revision as of 14:46, March 20, 2014

Our father among the saintsThomas I of Constantinople was the Patriarch of Constantinople during the first decade of the seventh century. He is commemorated by the Church on March 21.

Thomas was a deacon before he was made the sacristan (sakellarios) in the Great Church, Hagia Sophia while Patriarch John IV the Faster was patriarch. After the reposed of Patriarch Cyriacus in 606 Thomas was elected to the patriarchal throne in early 607.

Thomas is most remembered for his reaction to an ominous omen in Asia Minor that appeared during his tenure as patriarch. During processions at churches in Asia Minor the heavy crosses that were carried in procession began shaking and striking each other, causing concernment among the people. The Elder, St. Theodore the Sykeote, explained to Patr. Thomas that the Church will enter a time of discords and disasters and that the land will be invaded by barbarians. Upon hearing this, Patriarch Thomas became very disturbed and asked St Theodore to pray to God that his soul be taken before the ominous predictions become true.

Patr. Thomas died in 610, and then discords and disasters began. Thomas' successor, Patr. Sergius I, fell into the Monotheliteheresy, war began with Persia that proved very injurious to the Empire, devastation came to the regions of Asia Minor where the Orthodox lived, Jerusalem fell to the Persians, and the Persians captured the Life-Creating Cross and took it to Persia. As St. Theodore related to St.Thomas, the misfortunes that were portended by the miracle during the church processions had come to pass.